From the Active Trans blog: As a 20-year resident of Oak Park, I’m excited to share a number of changes coming to Oak Park that will improve conditions for biking and walking.Last week, the village board approved the Oak Park Neighborhood Greenways system as an addendum to its 2008 bike plan. Elements of the 2008 bike plan have already been adopted, such as significantly more and better bike parking near transit stations, bike lanes, wayfinding signs and creating a village government bike fleet. Despite these improvements, many people tell me they are afraid to ride in Oak Park when they have to deal with high traffic and high-speed streets, even if those streets are marked with a typical bike lane. We know from surveys that most people feel this way, and that is the inspiration for Oak Park’s Neighborhood Greenways, which will be a network of bike and walk priority streets that exists solely on side streets where the average person is more comfortable biking and walking. The greenways plan calls for marking these streets with advisory bike lanes, deploying traffic calming strategies and adding intersection treatments where the network crosses busy streets that don’t currently have a stop sign or traffic light for oncoming traffic. The goal is to allow people to safely walk or bike all around Oak Park on calm, low stress streets -- without having to use high traffic streets.Oak Park is the among first communities in Illinois to adopt a comprehensive list of tools and recommendations for Neighborhood Greenways design. Now, we need to get the system built, and we’ll keep an eye on the village’s budget for this! The expansion of Oak Park’s bike network is nicely tied to the expansion of Divvy bike-sharing program to Oak Park, scheduled for next summer.Divvy has been wildly popular in Chicago, logging up to 25,000 trips per day and introducing tens of thousands of locals and tourists alike to urban cycling.Oak Park and Evanston will be the first Chicago suburbs to get bike sharing! Active Trans was pegged by Oak Park to help identify locations for the first 12 Divvy stations. We recommended 12 locations with a 13th wild card, which will provide good coverage for the first phase of the program. A second phase of stations would be needed to fill in the gaps. Check out our report on Divvy locations and the Greenways System, and you can read a story about it published on the Chicago Tribune website as well. Hats off to our outstanding Senior Transportation Planner Heather Schady for her work on this! More exciting news! The founders of Green Line Wheels have tapped Active Trans to manage the organization beginning in August. Greenline Wheels is located in Oak Park at 105 S. Marion and was founded in 2010 by a local family seeking to elevate the bike friendliness of the Oak Park/River Forest community. Green Line Wheels currently provides bike education programs, bike rentals and tours, winter bicycle training and merchandise sales.For years we’ve partnered with Green Line Wheels to do on-bike education at local elementary schools, and we’re excited to team up with Green Line Wheels in bigger and better ways going forward. See More

Join us for a day of exploring Chicago’s South Side and southland trail network on Saturday, August 8th!We’ll meet at Abbott Park, steps from the 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Red Line Stop, at 10 a.m.* From there, we’ll explore a portion of the Major Taylor Trail, all of the brand new Cal-Sag Trail and a good portion of the I&M/Centennial Trails.We’ll make a beer/food stop at Pollyanna Brewing Company in Lemont. We’ll end the ride in Joliet, taking Metra all the way back to the city, catching the 4:20 Metra train.The event is only $6 for members, and we’ll buy you a beer at Pollyanna! Not a member yet? Join Active Trans for only $30 and we’ll still buy you a beer! Register/Join at our registration page here.Important stuff:The ride distance is roughly 43 miles, or 55 if you’d like to start at Daley Plaza.This is a casual ride, but be prepared to keep a pace of at least 13 mph. Come dressed for appropriately for heat/rain/etc. Bring cash for food/drink. Bring water. Bring a helmet and lock. Bring a bungee cord or strap for the Metra trip. Your support allows us to advocate for better biking, walking and transit in our region, educate people of all ages on safe cycling practices, and encourage more people to live more active lifestyles.Join us for the ride and become a member. We need your support. More information about membership can be found on www.activetrans.org/membership.*If you'd like to make it a longer ride, you can meet a staff member at Daley Plaza in the Loop, leaving at 9 a.m. sharpSee More

From the Chicago Sun-Times:Active Transportation Alliance: Allow bikes on South Shore LineA Chicago bike advocacy group is calling out the railroad company that operates the South Shore Line between South Bend and Chicago because it’s the only commuter line in the nation that doesn’t allow passengers to bring their bicycles aboard.The Active Transportation Alliance recently announced that it was lobbing the ignominious Broken Spoke Award at the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the interstate rail line.“Yes, that’s right, out of nearly two dozen commuter train lines in the nation, the South Shore Line is in a truly embarrassing league of its own,” according to a statement posted last week on the Alliance’s website.The South Shore is considering a pilot program allowing bikes, said railroad spokesman John Parsons, but “that’s still in the study stages. Nothing has been decided.”One complication, Parsons said, is that giving up some space to bicycles could affect riders with disabilities.“We don’t want that to happen. . . . There would be competition between the storage of bicycles and spaces for people with disabilities.”The Alliance is encouraging people to attend a public hearing on the pilot program from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 16 at the Indiana Dunes Visitors Center, 1215 State Road 49, in Porter, Indiana.The South Shore’s bicycle study should be complete by summer’s end, Parsons said, so they will see what the consultants recommend “and go from there.”“We want to do everything we can to permit a safe transport of bicycles and the balance of our passengers and make sure that’s integrated effectively into our seating arrangements,” he said.The Alliance also pokes the railroad company for standing in the way of creating a new Burnham Greenway connector trail that would link the Chicago lakefront to trails in the south suburbs, including the Cal-Sag Trail.There is a 2-mile gap in the trail that forces cyclists to navigate unsafe intersections and roads.“The trail can’t be built without crossing the South Shore Line tracks near the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago and suburban Burnham,” according to the Alliance, which encourages people to sign an online petition urging action.***Also, StreetsBlog Chicago has had good coverage on the issue.Ted Villaire Active TransSee More

Whether you’re a new parent, a seasoned pro or expecting your first-born, you’ve probably experienced a feeling of confinement to a car or public transit while shepherding your little ones.But being a parent doesn’t have to compromise your active transportation lifestyle! Just in time for summer, we have the information, encouragement and support you need to achieve pedaling bliss for the whole family.Active Trans and Chicago Kidical Mass are proud to offer a new, FREE three-part education series, focused on getting you and your little one(s) cycling with joy and confidence.Each event will focus on another stage of family cycling. Come for one session or join us for all three! Biking while Pregnant, Thursday, May 28; 6-7:30 p.m., Active Trans, 9 W. Hubbard St., ChicagoBiking with Kiddie Cargo – from Cargo Bikes to Child Seats, Wednesday, June 3; 6-7:30 p.m., Heritage Littles, 2868 N Lincoln Ave, ChicagoBiking with Independent Riders, Wednesday, June 24; 7-8:30 p.m., Heritage Littles, 2868 N. Lincoln Ave., ChicagoSee More

***If you want to attend this event, please RSVP to jeanne@activetrans.org***Recruitment NightJoin Active Transportation Alliance on Monday, June 22 from 5pm – 8pm for a Climate Ride Midwest recruitment night at Paramount Room, 415 N. Milwaukee in Chicago. Free hors d’oeuvres, compliments of Paramount Room, will be served and the first pint is on Active Trans! This event is part of Paramount Room’s monthly series of Bike-in Nights—Show your helmet and get special $4 pints and 20% off food. Climate Ride Board President Tim Frick will be there to talk about the Climate Ride Midwest and answer participant questions. People who join Team Active Trans will join a fun, excited group of volunteers who are committed to raising money for the Active Transportation Alliance. Last year, the ride raised more than $17,000 for Active Trans’ education and advocacy work on walking, biking and public transit for the Chicago metro area. Team members will raise money with the help of Active Trans fundraising professionals through group events and individual solicitations. Active Trans will also conduct informal team training rides, provide fundraising challenges (with prizes!) and a give each team member who reaches the goal and rides a sweet Team Active Trans jersey for the group to wear on the first day! More about the Climate Ride From September 27-30, 2015, raise awareness of the effects of climate change and join Team Active Trans for the Climate Ride Midwest, ride a fully-supported multi-day, 308-mile bike tour through some of the most beautiful routes in the country. Starting in Grand Rapids, Michigan and ending in Chicago’s Grant Park, the ride will raise awareness and funds for groups and charities—including Active Transportation Alliance¬—working on climate protection and active transportation issues. While the prospect of riding over 300 miles may seem daunting, climate change presents the greatest challenge of our generation and bold steps are required to address this issue. By riding and raising money for groups like Active Trans, you’re investing not only in a personal challenge for yourself, but also in a better, cleaner world for future generations. “This ride will be an unforgettable experience,” said Tim Frick, President of the Climate Ride Board of Directors. “In addition to raising awareness about climate change, the gorgeous scenery on the route from beautiful Michigan trails to the sand dunes of Indiana and the great stops we’ll make at craft breweries, museums, and farm stands more than make this trip worthwhile. On top of all of that, the funds we raise will help these wonderful organizations achieve a more sustainable, active future.” Registration details, the fundraising commitment, details about the ride, including daily itineraries and travel arrangements, can be found on the Climate Ride Midwest website. If you have any questions or want to join Team Active Trans, contact Jeanne Newman at Jeanne@activetrans.org or 312-216-0460.See More